1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a firmware download driver system in a host computer for downloading firmware to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) control apparatus, and also the present invention relates to a USB function extension application system in a host computer for extending functions of the USB control apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in order that a USB control apparatus connected to a host computer may operate as “USB control apparatus”, it is necessary that firmware is downloaded into the USB control apparatus from the host computer when the USB control apparatus connects to the host computer. A Web camera (a network camera or a digital camera) is an example of the USB control apparatus.
The USB control apparatus that connects to the host computer includes a download control unit for controlling download of firmware and an internal memory circuit for storing a program of the firmware. In addition, the download control unit includes a CPU. The download control unit with the CPU communicates with the host computer so that the firmware is downloaded into the internal memory circuit. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2002-510416 (patent document 1) discloses a conventional technology in the USB control apparatus for downloading firmware.
When the host computer connected to the USB control apparatus operates under an environment of a standard “WINDOWS XP™” operating system, “UVC (USB Video Class) standard driver” that is a kernel of the WINDOWS XP™ operating system operates in the host computer. According to the operation of the driver, standard control is performed for the USB control apparatus. That is, the UVC standard driver operates as a driver in the host computer side for the Web camera.
By the way, when downloading firmware from the host computer, a page called “property page” is provided by the host computer as a function of an application in the host computer, wherein the property page is used for setting information (property) on functions of the USB control apparatus via the firmware that is an object. This application system in the WINDOWS XP™ operating system is usually called “Capture application”. As to the Web camera, “Brightness (of an image)” and “Contrast (of an image)” are examples of resources of the property.
However, it can be sufficiently considered that functions of the Web camera increase. In addition, it can be originally considered that attributes that can be set on the property page do not adequately support the functions of the Web camera. From these points, it is desired to develop easily and flexibly an attribute setting application system that supports functions to be extended.